They really mean what they say that weekends are no different than weekdays around here! Today, Ron was in Interventional Radiology for about 5 hours. Docs feel everything went well!They downsized a couple of drainage tubes, took one out and moved the location of a couple plus added a new one; basically a tube within a tube. In the lower tube leading to intestines they placed a smaller tube in and threaded it way down into intestines with the plan to begin feeding again in the near future; anything that might leak out would be pulled out through the larger tube this is in. The main organs of the body can be fed with TPN but the intestines get their nourishment directly from food...so to keep the intestines healthy it's very important they be able to be fed. All of this was accomplished through watching on xray/CT and then inserting through skin to specific area...no opening him up.... it's amazing to me!
We feel very good about the way things are going. They are very proactive and it's good to know they deal with this kind of thing often. Don't get me wrong, we were in no way dissatisfied with Dr. Elieson, HEB or any of the care received. He made the right call in sending us to a bigger facility with more specialized doctors and departments. Dr. Shires reminded me today that they can't work magic; this disease will still take a very long time to get over. Ron will most likely have many other setbacks but they have the facilities and experience to handle them.
It's been rough on me and the fam as the waiting facilities are not great. But, they have a hotel on the 9th floor of Presbyterian so I decided to get a room there for a couple of nights. Problem is; they stay booked almost year round! I was put on the waiting list and a room became available starting tonight! YEAH!!! It will be well worth the cost to get a good night's sleep without being away from the hospital...not ready to do that as yet And it will be wonderful to not be dragging my bags all over the place with me!
I know you will join us in continued prayer for Ron and his complete helaing.
Love you all!
Christie, Ryan, Aaron and Kristin
"Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May He be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages." Eph 3:20-21 NLT
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Transfer update
Sorry I haven't been able to update sooner.....it's been a busy day, not alot of down-time!
Since we got to "bed" @ 2AM, we're all pretty tired!!! The transfer went very smoothly...we fretted a little over moving in the middle of the night with only one day left in the week but as always, God had gone before us and prepared the way!!! I can't begin to tell how at peace we were and are. Change is always difficult; and it's hard getting out of our comfort zone. We hated to leave the doctor's, nurses, techs, and other staff members we've built relationships with as well as being further from home and our support system, but sometimes we have to give up the good in order to receive God's best!
The drive was great, no traffic due to the time. Harris HEB had one of our favorite night nurse's (Joy) ride in the the ambulance with Ron as part of the transport team. It was very comforting for us and she loved it!! We were imagining the bragging rights she'll have over this (similar to Grey's Anatomy??). And since it was the middle of the night, when we arrived at Presbyterian's ICU there were no other people around so many of the nurses' were able to pitch in to get him settled in. He was immediately seen by one of the resident doctor's, too.
The waiting room is definitely lacking....about a 10x10 room as opposed to the huge waiting area at HEB. Ryan and I slept on the floor there last night but it was difficult and definitely no place for us to keep all our belongings, so we'll see how all that plays out. Tonight, they are allowing me to sleep in Ron's room.
Dr. Shires was in @9 this morn. He was very pleased to see Ron is not on a ventilator or dialysis; his lungs and heart are in good shape, so other than what's going on in his belly he's a pretty healthy guy! He ordered a CT scan today which didn't show anything different than what he already knew. (Since Presby and Harris are both part of Texas Health Resources---THR--he's already been able to access all of Ron's information, tests, x-rays, etc., through their computerized medical records system and will be able to compare new tests to previous.) He also had an x-ray today and will have another test (fistul-o-gram? I think) that is something part of Interventional Radiology tomorrow. Dr. Shires says there really is no difference between weekends and weekdays here; as far as testing, treatments, procedures, etc. they are all equal. It was very reassuring to talk to him and see/hear first hand that this is something very routine for him. He exudes confidence but cautions it will take a long time before Ron is better, the nature of the beast---Pancreatitis!
Aaron & Kristin finished up at HSU yesterday; packed their U-haul and moved to Fort Worth. Aaron also accepted the position as Sports Director for the Airport-area YMCA, this is a very good fit for him. Please pray for them as they unpack and get settled in. And as they help me out during this time, too.
Ryan flies to Florida early this Saturday morn. He will spend Sat and Sun finishing out paperwork at Beachside Physical Therapy, meet with the director's Monday morning; get a hitch (to pull U-haul) on his car; pack up all his belongings and return Tuesday. Please pray that he will be at peace so he can be productive without distractions. And especially that there will be no need for any emergency phone calls from here telling him to get on the next flight! We've had too many of those!!! He has also accepted the job of Therapy Director at the facility on the Southwest side of Ft. Worth and is very excited about it.
We ask for NO VISITORS right now, Ron will be very busy with tests, etc and in between will need to get as much rest as possible!
Thanks so much for your support!
Love you all!
Since we got to "bed" @ 2AM, we're all pretty tired!!! The transfer went very smoothly...we fretted a little over moving in the middle of the night with only one day left in the week but as always, God had gone before us and prepared the way!!! I can't begin to tell how at peace we were and are. Change is always difficult; and it's hard getting out of our comfort zone. We hated to leave the doctor's, nurses, techs, and other staff members we've built relationships with as well as being further from home and our support system, but sometimes we have to give up the good in order to receive God's best!
The drive was great, no traffic due to the time. Harris HEB had one of our favorite night nurse's (Joy) ride in the the ambulance with Ron as part of the transport team. It was very comforting for us and she loved it!! We were imagining the bragging rights she'll have over this (similar to Grey's Anatomy??). And since it was the middle of the night, when we arrived at Presbyterian's ICU there were no other people around so many of the nurses' were able to pitch in to get him settled in. He was immediately seen by one of the resident doctor's, too.
The waiting room is definitely lacking....about a 10x10 room as opposed to the huge waiting area at HEB. Ryan and I slept on the floor there last night but it was difficult and definitely no place for us to keep all our belongings, so we'll see how all that plays out. Tonight, they are allowing me to sleep in Ron's room.
Dr. Shires was in @9 this morn. He was very pleased to see Ron is not on a ventilator or dialysis; his lungs and heart are in good shape, so other than what's going on in his belly he's a pretty healthy guy! He ordered a CT scan today which didn't show anything different than what he already knew. (Since Presby and Harris are both part of Texas Health Resources---THR--he's already been able to access all of Ron's information, tests, x-rays, etc., through their computerized medical records system and will be able to compare new tests to previous.) He also had an x-ray today and will have another test (fistul-o-gram? I think) that is something part of Interventional Radiology tomorrow. Dr. Shires says there really is no difference between weekends and weekdays here; as far as testing, treatments, procedures, etc. they are all equal. It was very reassuring to talk to him and see/hear first hand that this is something very routine for him. He exudes confidence but cautions it will take a long time before Ron is better, the nature of the beast---Pancreatitis!
Aaron & Kristin finished up at HSU yesterday; packed their U-haul and moved to Fort Worth. Aaron also accepted the position as Sports Director for the Airport-area YMCA, this is a very good fit for him. Please pray for them as they unpack and get settled in. And as they help me out during this time, too.
Ryan flies to Florida early this Saturday morn. He will spend Sat and Sun finishing out paperwork at Beachside Physical Therapy, meet with the director's Monday morning; get a hitch (to pull U-haul) on his car; pack up all his belongings and return Tuesday. Please pray that he will be at peace so he can be productive without distractions. And especially that there will be no need for any emergency phone calls from here telling him to get on the next flight! We've had too many of those!!! He has also accepted the job of Therapy Director at the facility on the Southwest side of Ft. Worth and is very excited about it.
We ask for NO VISITORS right now, Ron will be very busy with tests, etc and in between will need to get as much rest as possible!
Thanks so much for your support!
Love you all!
Presbyterian Hospital
It looks like we're not in Kansas, I mean, Harris HEB, any more!
We've moved to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas (arrived here at 12:30 this morning!!!).
I'll update later when we've had a little rest and get settled in!
Please pray for an easy transition, as we "get the lay of the (new) land" and as Dr. Shires takes over the case!
We've moved to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas (arrived here at 12:30 this morning!!!).
I'll update later when we've had a little rest and get settled in!
Please pray for an easy transition, as we "get the lay of the (new) land" and as Dr. Shires takes over the case!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Trust in all things
Quick update, since we're all tired tonight!
Ron is doing well all things considered. His spirits are good and he is not experiencing much pain. He is still "oozing" blood internally so they continue to give him blood products (pack cells and plasma). This is from the incision site; and is a reminder that things are still very fragile internally. He does have a hematoma (pocket of blood) just underneath the incision site which is too thick to drain yet but will break down over the next couple of days and drain out through one of the existing drains. CT scan shows there is no pocket of fluid that needs to be dealt with at this point; it looks like everything is being handled well with the drains that are in place. And once again, because of the amount of fluids they are putting in him, he is swelling up.
He is still on meds (vasopressors) to keep his blood pressure in check but his heart rate looks great! They continue to monitor his blood sugar level...it's still bouncing around a bit. They will resume TPN (IV nutrition) tonight.
We've had this verse on Ron's wall (in whichever room he is in at the time!)
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:2-3 The MessageAnd all night long God kept bringing to mind this particular part of the verse "So don't try to get out of anything prematurely". A reminder that He is not finished with us yet...we are to be faithful and continue to trust Him in all things!
Please pray for Aaron & Kristin...they traveled back to Abilene tonight (profs graciously allowed them to move tests) and will be taking their finals tomorrow and Thursday. Please pray their minds will be focused and God will allow them to recall all the information they've learned this semester. That He will remove all distractions from their hearts and minds as they are away.
For Ryan: He postponed going to shadow at the site on Monday so will go Wednesday afternoon instead.
And continue to pray for the young man we are trying to minister to. He's getting a lot of flack at work for missing during this tragic time and will spend the night here tonight but leave around 2AM to go work til visiting hours at 8:30 AM. They think she may either go to a floor or home tomorrow.
We are blessed because of each of you!
Ron is doing well all things considered. His spirits are good and he is not experiencing much pain. He is still "oozing" blood internally so they continue to give him blood products (pack cells and plasma). This is from the incision site; and is a reminder that things are still very fragile internally. He does have a hematoma (pocket of blood) just underneath the incision site which is too thick to drain yet but will break down over the next couple of days and drain out through one of the existing drains. CT scan shows there is no pocket of fluid that needs to be dealt with at this point; it looks like everything is being handled well with the drains that are in place. And once again, because of the amount of fluids they are putting in him, he is swelling up.
He is still on meds (vasopressors) to keep his blood pressure in check but his heart rate looks great! They continue to monitor his blood sugar level...it's still bouncing around a bit. They will resume TPN (IV nutrition) tonight.
We've had this verse on Ron's wall (in whichever room he is in at the time!)
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:2-3 The MessageAnd all night long God kept bringing to mind this particular part of the verse "So don't try to get out of anything prematurely". A reminder that He is not finished with us yet...we are to be faithful and continue to trust Him in all things!
Please pray for Aaron & Kristin...they traveled back to Abilene tonight (profs graciously allowed them to move tests) and will be taking their finals tomorrow and Thursday. Please pray their minds will be focused and God will allow them to recall all the information they've learned this semester. That He will remove all distractions from their hearts and minds as they are away.
For Ryan: He postponed going to shadow at the site on Monday so will go Wednesday afternoon instead.
And continue to pray for the young man we are trying to minister to. He's getting a lot of flack at work for missing during this tragic time and will spend the night here tonight but leave around 2AM to go work til visiting hours at 8:30 AM. They think she may either go to a floor or home tomorrow.
We are blessed because of each of you!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Surgery report
Quite a day we've had! Ron's blood pressure continued to drop and heart rate continued to rise so the decision was made to take him back to Critical Care Unit (CCU), around 1PM, before the surgery, to stabilize him. They gave him a bunch of fluids plus Albumin to help boost his blood pressure. He also had 2 episodes where his blood sugar got extremely low so they had to inject glucose (sugar).
They took him to surgery at about 3:15 but it actually started late (about 4:40). Dr. Elieson spoke with us afterwards (about 7:00) and confirmed they really had a hostile environment to deal with. They basically did "damage control" ...cleaned out a pocket of fluid in upper midsection and some fluid in the upper left quadrant but didn't want to do any digging into the "angry" inflamed tissue to search out any of the leaks, or try to get a look at the pancreas; they felt this would cause more harm. They believe there is perforation in the colon (as well as the leak in the duodenum). They did put in another drainage tube to help control the pocket of fluid. Basically, he again has sepsis (infection throughout bloodstream).
He will have a CT scan tomorrow to determine if there are any other pockets of fluid that need to be addressed. If there are, the plan is to handle it with Interventional Radiology (the procedure where they place a drainage tube guided by CT scan/x-ray). Please pray if there are other pockets of fluid they will be in areas where they could safely place tubes in this way.
Tonight, his blood pressure is still low and heart rate is still high and they are working to adjust meds to stabilize; as well as IV fluids and pain meds. Good news is, he was able to come off the ventilator in the OR right after surgery!
What does all of this mean? - we are still playing the waiting game. We do still have some pancreatitis issues to deal with but this continues to be more of a surgical situation. He will still require surgery sometime down the road but the further we can get away from previous surgeries the more his belly heals; the better. We are still praying the perforations/leaks will heal on their own and when the time is right they will only have to deal with reconnecting the intestines at that time. He will not have any more of the tube feedings and is back on the TPN (IV fluids only). Dr. Elieson has said that he is in a minimal septic shock state right now secondary to all the bad fluids leaking into his abdominal cavity.
Dr. Elieson is in contact with another doctor who specializes in pancreatic surgeries at Presbyterian in Dallas to see if there is anything he would do differently or if a larger hospital with more resources and a larger number of these types of cases would be a better place for Ron. We have mixed emotions...obviously we want the best care possible for Ron. However, it is very comforting to be close to home, family and friends; as well as having the intimate knowledge Doctor's Elieson and Pollard have of Ron's insides. Nothing would happen quickly; and obviously, the main thing right now is to stabilize him and let him recover from this surgery. The next 24-48 hours are critical. Please pray for wisdom and discernment in this area.
Also, please pray for a young man here in the waiting area with us tonight. His girlfriend is in CCU following a drug overdose. Don't know either name, but have been able to offer comfort by trying to meet some of his needs tonight: buying him a soft drink, sharing our pillows, blankets and "tricks of the trade" of staying the night in CCU waiting area.
Many prayer requests tonight! Thanks for continually holding us up and bringing our requests to the Father!
"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
They took him to surgery at about 3:15 but it actually started late (about 4:40). Dr. Elieson spoke with us afterwards (about 7:00) and confirmed they really had a hostile environment to deal with. They basically did "damage control" ...cleaned out a pocket of fluid in upper midsection and some fluid in the upper left quadrant but didn't want to do any digging into the "angry" inflamed tissue to search out any of the leaks, or try to get a look at the pancreas; they felt this would cause more harm. They believe there is perforation in the colon (as well as the leak in the duodenum). They did put in another drainage tube to help control the pocket of fluid. Basically, he again has sepsis (infection throughout bloodstream).
He will have a CT scan tomorrow to determine if there are any other pockets of fluid that need to be addressed. If there are, the plan is to handle it with Interventional Radiology (the procedure where they place a drainage tube guided by CT scan/x-ray). Please pray if there are other pockets of fluid they will be in areas where they could safely place tubes in this way.
Tonight, his blood pressure is still low and heart rate is still high and they are working to adjust meds to stabilize; as well as IV fluids and pain meds. Good news is, he was able to come off the ventilator in the OR right after surgery!
What does all of this mean? - we are still playing the waiting game. We do still have some pancreatitis issues to deal with but this continues to be more of a surgical situation. He will still require surgery sometime down the road but the further we can get away from previous surgeries the more his belly heals; the better. We are still praying the perforations/leaks will heal on their own and when the time is right they will only have to deal with reconnecting the intestines at that time. He will not have any more of the tube feedings and is back on the TPN (IV fluids only). Dr. Elieson has said that he is in a minimal septic shock state right now secondary to all the bad fluids leaking into his abdominal cavity.
Dr. Elieson is in contact with another doctor who specializes in pancreatic surgeries at Presbyterian in Dallas to see if there is anything he would do differently or if a larger hospital with more resources and a larger number of these types of cases would be a better place for Ron. We have mixed emotions...obviously we want the best care possible for Ron. However, it is very comforting to be close to home, family and friends; as well as having the intimate knowledge Doctor's Elieson and Pollard have of Ron's insides. Nothing would happen quickly; and obviously, the main thing right now is to stabilize him and let him recover from this surgery. The next 24-48 hours are critical. Please pray for wisdom and discernment in this area.
Also, please pray for a young man here in the waiting area with us tonight. His girlfriend is in CCU following a drug overdose. Don't know either name, but have been able to offer comfort by trying to meet some of his needs tonight: buying him a soft drink, sharing our pillows, blankets and "tricks of the trade" of staying the night in CCU waiting area.
Many prayer requests tonight! Thanks for continually holding us up and bringing our requests to the Father!
"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
More surgery
Well another road bump today and we're asking that you all pray fervently!! Not that you've ever stopped! Ron has been running a fever (up to 102.3) all night and this morning when his surgeon Dr. Elieson came in and says there is evidence that there is a leak in his lower intestines, small bowel area. He is leaking bowel and intestinal fluids into his abdominal cavity and after consulting with the rest of the team, Dr. Elieson feels that it is necessary to go back in surgically. He is scheduled for 3pm this afternoon.
The major goal will be to clean out the abdominal cavity. They would love to be able to find the leak in his intestines and fix that while they are in there and they may look at other areas ie: pancreas, small intestine. But, the only thing they are sure of, is cleaning out the belly....all the rest will be dependent on how fragile things are at this point.... how hostile the environment is...they don't want to fix one thing and create two more.
We have been praying for the last couple of weeks James 1:5-6 "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach. But he must ask in faith without any doubting". We've prayed specifically that God would give his Doctors wisdom on the right time to go back in surgically, and obviously God has answered that prayer! Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear!!"
We will be moving back down to the CCU after his surgery
The major goal will be to clean out the abdominal cavity. They would love to be able to find the leak in his intestines and fix that while they are in there and they may look at other areas ie: pancreas, small intestine. But, the only thing they are sure of, is cleaning out the belly....all the rest will be dependent on how fragile things are at this point.... how hostile the environment is...they don't want to fix one thing and create two more.
We have been praying for the last couple of weeks James 1:5-6 "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach. But he must ask in faith without any doubting". We've prayed specifically that God would give his Doctors wisdom on the right time to go back in surgically, and obviously God has answered that prayer! Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear!!"
We will be moving back down to the CCU after his surgery
Busy, busy
Yeah! My night to spend the night with Ron...and it's been a busy one! I understand why he doesn't get much sleep! The nurse and tech have been in and out changing dressing; replacing binder & gown since tube feed leaked all over his other one; taking stats; changing out antibiotics; taking temp again (his temp has gotten up to 102.2 tonight and they finally gave me a thermometer so I could take his temp more often so they wouldn't keep disturbing him...I guess he handles it better when I wake him up to take the temp??) I confess, I've been tempted to be anxious but REFUSE to allow Satan any foothold here!!!!!
Sunday was busy as well...they've been keeping a close eye on him since his blood pressure has been a little low and heart rate has been increased over the last 24 hours. His temp has been up and down since Saturday night as well. So, they ran a couple of x-rays (chest and belly); did blood cultures and also did a urinalysis and stool culture. Stool culture shows some blood (not sure if it's old or new) and urinalysis shows infection. They are also considering changing out his PICC line, again. They are always an open port for infection and change sites often (this one has been in since Nov 25). Haven't heard results on x-rays.
He says he doesn't really feel any worse; other than a little weaker than usual.
Please pray for all of the above issues. And also:
Aaron and Kristin as they travel back to Abilene and finish up their semester with finals on Tues, Wed & Thurs. They will then pack up their apartment Thursday afternoon and move here Friday. For Aaron as he seeks employment; that God would firmly close those doors He does not want him to take and open those he is to walk through. And Kristin as she seeks to get school issues handled and looks for a part-time job, too.
Ryan--is going back to one of the locations (Southwest side of Ft. Worth in Cityview area) where he interviewed and shadow one of the employees for a couple of hours and meet with management...he has been offered a job and thinks he will probably take it (unless things are not what he is expecting after tomorrow). He will then kind of scope out the area to see where he might possibly want to live. (He will continue to live at home for the next few months, though). And as he goes back to Florida on Saturday (15th) through Tuesday (18th) to finish up paperwork at his old clinic and get all his stuff ready to be moved. (My sister Tami's husband, Ron, will fly to Florida and drive Ryan's car and pull U-haul with all his belongings so Ryan doesn't have to be away those 2 extra days driving...Thanks so much, Ron!!!!).
That we would each seek God's guidance as big changes come about!!!
Much love, faithful ones!!! Good night and Sweet dreams!
"I have created you and have cared for you since before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you." Isaiah 46:3-4 NLT
Sunday was busy as well...they've been keeping a close eye on him since his blood pressure has been a little low and heart rate has been increased over the last 24 hours. His temp has been up and down since Saturday night as well. So, they ran a couple of x-rays (chest and belly); did blood cultures and also did a urinalysis and stool culture. Stool culture shows some blood (not sure if it's old or new) and urinalysis shows infection. They are also considering changing out his PICC line, again. They are always an open port for infection and change sites often (this one has been in since Nov 25). Haven't heard results on x-rays.
He says he doesn't really feel any worse; other than a little weaker than usual.
Please pray for all of the above issues. And also:
Aaron and Kristin as they travel back to Abilene and finish up their semester with finals on Tues, Wed & Thurs. They will then pack up their apartment Thursday afternoon and move here Friday. For Aaron as he seeks employment; that God would firmly close those doors He does not want him to take and open those he is to walk through. And Kristin as she seeks to get school issues handled and looks for a part-time job, too.
Ryan--is going back to one of the locations (Southwest side of Ft. Worth in Cityview area) where he interviewed and shadow one of the employees for a couple of hours and meet with management...he has been offered a job and thinks he will probably take it (unless things are not what he is expecting after tomorrow). He will then kind of scope out the area to see where he might possibly want to live. (He will continue to live at home for the next few months, though). And as he goes back to Florida on Saturday (15th) through Tuesday (18th) to finish up paperwork at his old clinic and get all his stuff ready to be moved. (My sister Tami's husband, Ron, will fly to Florida and drive Ryan's car and pull U-haul with all his belongings so Ryan doesn't have to be away those 2 extra days driving...Thanks so much, Ron!!!!).
That we would each seek God's guidance as big changes come about!!!
Much love, faithful ones!!! Good night and Sweet dreams!
"I have created you and have cared for you since before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you." Isaiah 46:3-4 NLT
Friday, December 7, 2007
I love Fridays!
Yeah!!! It's Friday!!! And it's been a good one around here!
Ron has done well over the last 36 hours with his tube feed so they have increased the amount. He started with 10 cc per hour (24 hours a day) and they have now doubled it to 20 cc per hour.
Last night was a rough night...different nurse who was a little unorganized so didn't get much sleep; he was able to sleep in a little this morning but is pretty tired this evening. He was able to walk about 20 feet today with his physical therapist; sat up in the chair while I bathed him and washed his hair and then stayed there about an hour. He was definitely ready for a nap afterwards, but could only catnap as they came in and out.
God continues to bless! White blood count is still trickling down (17,000 today); hemoglobin has stayed at 8.7, creatnine (kidney function) is down to 1.1 (I don't think it has ever been that low throughout his entire hospital stay), he's had no fever in over a week, and his blood sugar is only needing to be checked every 6 hours!
AND when Dr. Elieson came in this evening he was pleased there has been no output in over a week from the drain behind the kidney, so he was able to remove the tube that we think is the culprit of the groin pain!!! WOO HOO!!!!!
Aaron brought his XBox and hooked it up to the TV in Ron's room so we have enjoyed a family movie night (watched a Christmas movie, Elf) and now the guys are playing Tiger Woods Golf while Ron caddies! Watch out Cronies!!!!
We cannot begin to thank you for your prayer support, emotional and physical support and your financial support as well! Don't know why it surprises us (God is always faithful to fulfill His promises!) but we are continually amazed and humbled at how God provides for our needs through you, our faithful family and friends! You all are incredible!
Enjoy your weekend!
"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4:19-20
Ron has done well over the last 36 hours with his tube feed so they have increased the amount. He started with 10 cc per hour (24 hours a day) and they have now doubled it to 20 cc per hour.
Last night was a rough night...different nurse who was a little unorganized so didn't get much sleep; he was able to sleep in a little this morning but is pretty tired this evening. He was able to walk about 20 feet today with his physical therapist; sat up in the chair while I bathed him and washed his hair and then stayed there about an hour. He was definitely ready for a nap afterwards, but could only catnap as they came in and out.
God continues to bless! White blood count is still trickling down (17,000 today); hemoglobin has stayed at 8.7, creatnine (kidney function) is down to 1.1 (I don't think it has ever been that low throughout his entire hospital stay), he's had no fever in over a week, and his blood sugar is only needing to be checked every 6 hours!
AND when Dr. Elieson came in this evening he was pleased there has been no output in over a week from the drain behind the kidney, so he was able to remove the tube that we think is the culprit of the groin pain!!! WOO HOO!!!!!
Aaron brought his XBox and hooked it up to the TV in Ron's room so we have enjoyed a family movie night (watched a Christmas movie, Elf) and now the guys are playing Tiger Woods Golf while Ron caddies! Watch out Cronies!!!!
We cannot begin to thank you for your prayer support, emotional and physical support and your financial support as well! Don't know why it surprises us (God is always faithful to fulfill His promises!) but we are continually amazed and humbled at how God provides for our needs through you, our faithful family and friends! You all are incredible!
Enjoy your weekend!
"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4:19-20
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Good stuff to report!
Ron has been feeling pretty good for several days now...no fevers, and white cell count hovering around 20,000-22,000. Good enough that the docs have decided to only draw blood every other day! Yeah!!! He's only requiring one or two little catnaps...even after Physical Therapy, which is exhausting for him. Results from test yesterday show there is still a leak (in the duodenum area, not where the tube joins intestine which is where they originally thought) so they still cannot remove drain. Even though they know there is a leak, they are pleased that they are being able to control it with the drains. Continue to pray that this leak will heal on it's own, they do not want to do surgery unless absolutely necessary. I would love for you to join us in asking God to knit back together those intricate parts of his body just as He knit Ron together in his mother's womb. He is our Great Physician!
Dr. Elieson feels since the lower portion of the intestines show no signs of problems, they will try to begin feeding him in his "gut" tomorrow (feed directly into the tube in the lower intestine). This is a huge step forward so PLEASE PRAY FERVENTLY that his intestines will "wake up" and tolerate the feeding.
All in all, he's doing pretty well for a guy with 3 drain tubes coming out of his belly, 1 drain tube out of his back, 2 tubes connected to his intestines, NG tube, PICC line and catheter; who's been in the hospital 7 weeks (2nd stay); hasn't had food by mouth in all this time (TPN..IV nutrition... just doesn't cut it), and shouldn't even be alive! Our God is an awesome God!!!
And, please continue to pray for Ron's doctors: Elieson (surgeon), Hall (gastro), Chakraborty (internist), Bell (kidney), P (infectious disease...no one knows how to pronounce or spell his name), as well as their partners who treat Ron at times...foremost, that they may see Jesus in us and secondly, that they may have wisdom and discernment as to how best to treat him.
Thanks for your continued support! We can feel God answering your prayers on our behalf!
Love, Christie, Ryan, Aaron & Kristin
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him" Psalm 37:7
Dr. Elieson feels since the lower portion of the intestines show no signs of problems, they will try to begin feeding him in his "gut" tomorrow (feed directly into the tube in the lower intestine). This is a huge step forward so PLEASE PRAY FERVENTLY that his intestines will "wake up" and tolerate the feeding.
All in all, he's doing pretty well for a guy with 3 drain tubes coming out of his belly, 1 drain tube out of his back, 2 tubes connected to his intestines, NG tube, PICC line and catheter; who's been in the hospital 7 weeks (2nd stay); hasn't had food by mouth in all this time (TPN..IV nutrition... just doesn't cut it), and shouldn't even be alive! Our God is an awesome God!!!
And, please continue to pray for Ron's doctors: Elieson (surgeon), Hall (gastro), Chakraborty (internist), Bell (kidney), P (infectious disease...no one knows how to pronounce or spell his name), as well as their partners who treat Ron at times...foremost, that they may see Jesus in us and secondly, that they may have wisdom and discernment as to how best to treat him.
Thanks for your continued support! We can feel God answering your prayers on our behalf!
Love, Christie, Ryan, Aaron & Kristin
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him" Psalm 37:7
Monday, December 3, 2007
Keeping busy!
Sorry it's been a couple of days since we've updated! Now that Ron is out of CCU we are keeping busy doing a lot of his care. Weekend was pretty quiet as we got settled in to new room and nursing routines. We're taking turns sleeping up here at night and I stay with him all day as well. It's been awful trying to get any sleep at night, they've been coming in every hour on the hour. Ryan finally pulled the nurses aside and asked them to please do as much as possible at the same time instead of little things so often through the night. The nurse Ron's had the last couple of days has been great to let him sleep in (usually 'til 9-9:30) so he's finally getting some rest!
Positive point of being out of CCU is I'm able to get alot of work done, which is great! I have been trying to cram as much in nights and weekends but this should help the pace. It's also good I can work from Ron's room since Ryan and I are sharing one vehicle (until he gets his here from Florida). We decided to sell mine for several reasons...we need to get rid of as many extra expenses as possible...this will relieve us of a car payment and added insurance; and it was beginning to show signs of a problem that would have been very costly to repair.
Yesterday was a long day.....we always try to be here when docs come around and they came starting at 10 AM and last one arrived at 9:30 PM! Good to hear his hemoglobin is staying stable; white cell count is slightly down, he's had no fever in several days and his creatnine (kidney function) has stayed around 1.2. He resumed physical therapy Sat and has now progressed to taking a couple of steps with the walker. He was even able to help me work on some business issues on the computer yesterday evening.
Please pray for:
Ron has another test this afternoon (Tuesday) to see if they can remove the drainage tube that is causing pain to his groin; please pray this cavity has resolved itself. They are also looking to see if they can begin feeding him in his "gut" through the tube that leads to his lower intestines...this would be a huge step forward! It would really help in the healing process to get better nutrition in a more normal way!!!
Ryan as he begins interviewing this week. And still tries to decide the best time to return to Florida.
Aaron & Kristin...last week of their semester and then finals next week. Aaron has decided not to walk at graduation. He thinks it would just be too emotional for him to not have his Daddy there. He also doesn't want us to be away from Ron any more than absolutely necessary. He spoke to the University and, due to the extenuating circumstances, they have agreed to make an exception and allow him to walk in May when, hopefully, Ron will be able to be there. He also has an interview this week.
I'll try to do better at keep everyone updated, but no promises!
Love, Christie & gang
"The Lord surrounds and protects His people, both now and forever." Psalm 125:2b NLT
Positive point of being out of CCU is I'm able to get alot of work done, which is great! I have been trying to cram as much in nights and weekends but this should help the pace. It's also good I can work from Ron's room since Ryan and I are sharing one vehicle (until he gets his here from Florida). We decided to sell mine for several reasons...we need to get rid of as many extra expenses as possible...this will relieve us of a car payment and added insurance; and it was beginning to show signs of a problem that would have been very costly to repair.
Yesterday was a long day.....we always try to be here when docs come around and they came starting at 10 AM and last one arrived at 9:30 PM! Good to hear his hemoglobin is staying stable; white cell count is slightly down, he's had no fever in several days and his creatnine (kidney function) has stayed around 1.2. He resumed physical therapy Sat and has now progressed to taking a couple of steps with the walker. He was even able to help me work on some business issues on the computer yesterday evening.
Please pray for:
Ron has another test this afternoon (Tuesday) to see if they can remove the drainage tube that is causing pain to his groin; please pray this cavity has resolved itself. They are also looking to see if they can begin feeding him in his "gut" through the tube that leads to his lower intestines...this would be a huge step forward! It would really help in the healing process to get better nutrition in a more normal way!!!
Ryan as he begins interviewing this week. And still tries to decide the best time to return to Florida.
Aaron & Kristin...last week of their semester and then finals next week. Aaron has decided not to walk at graduation. He thinks it would just be too emotional for him to not have his Daddy there. He also doesn't want us to be away from Ron any more than absolutely necessary. He spoke to the University and, due to the extenuating circumstances, they have agreed to make an exception and allow him to walk in May when, hopefully, Ron will be able to be there. He also has an interview this week.
I'll try to do better at keep everyone updated, but no promises!
Love, Christie & gang
"The Lord surrounds and protects His people, both now and forever." Psalm 125:2b NLT
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Settling in
Not much to report today, just trying to get settled in to our new surroundings! It's hard to go from having a 1:1 or 2:1 patient to nurse ratio to now being 6:1. And especially makes us a little more anxious since the 3 nurses we've had thus far have never dealt with some of the types of drains he has! Now that he's out of CCU; they no longer have the monitors we can watch so it's hard not being able to keep an eye on his heart rate, blood pressure and respiration ourselves. But we're trying to remember that moving him here means he's not as critical, which is a good thing. They still have him on a heart monitor but one that displays at the nurse's station.
It is nice that we are able to have one of us here in the room with him at all times. It's comforting to know we can keep an eye on things and help the nurse's figure out all his complicated issues.
Ron is now able to work with PT again. They had him sitting up on the side of the bed for a while and then actually had him stand and do some side steps!!! WOO HOO!!! They are hoping to get him walking a couple of feet tomorrow.
Thanks for holding us up! Your intercession and God's grace is the only reason we're able to deal with this crazy ride we're on!
Love, Christie & gang
"When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."
Psalm 94:19 NLT
It is nice that we are able to have one of us here in the room with him at all times. It's comforting to know we can keep an eye on things and help the nurse's figure out all his complicated issues.
Ron is now able to work with PT again. They had him sitting up on the side of the bed for a while and then actually had him stand and do some side steps!!! WOO HOO!!! They are hoping to get him walking a couple of feet tomorrow.
Thanks for holding us up! Your intercession and God's grace is the only reason we're able to deal with this crazy ride we're on!
Love, Christie & gang
"When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."
Psalm 94:19 NLT
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